Connection for tapping mains.



PATENTED APR. 23, 1907.

. P. ELEY. CONNECTION FOR TAPPING MAINS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1904.

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CONNECTION FOR TAPPING MAINS.

APPLICATION FILED IA! 6, 1904.

Wilrzesses:

urrnn STATES PHILIP ELEY, F BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY.

CCNNECTION FOR TAPPING' MAINS,

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May a, 1904. SerialNo. 206,617.

Patented April as, 1907.

To all z uhom it may concern:

the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain-newand useful V Improvements in Connections for Tapping Pipe-Mains, ofwhich the following is a specification','reference being had to thedrawings accompanying and forming a part of the same.

My'invention' the subject of the present application is an improvementin the devices used for' tappling pipe-lines, such as water or-gasmains, and establishing branch connections therewith, and has for itsobject to simplify and reduce the cost of such connections and at thesame time increase their eflectiveness a'ndzease of application.

As is well understood by those skilled in this art, it is frequentlydesirable to run branch lines of water or gas pipes from large mains,and as the provision of permanent branch connections in advance would beimpracticable it is necessary'fto tap the main and connect therewith abranch without cutting off the water or gas. This has usually beenaccomplished by providing a sectional sleeve,

which'is applied to the main at the point vto be tapped. One of thesections of the sleeve is formed or provided with a hub or bell memberof a coupling, into which is fitted and calked the spigot end of avalve. suitable tapping-machine is then secured to the opposite end ofthe valve, and the gate being 0 ned a circular disk is cut out from themain by a cutting-tool which extends through the valve and thehub memberof the coupling. When the tap has been accomplis ed, the cutting-tool iswithdrawn, the

valve-gate closed, and the ta ping-machine removed. Thisleavesa brancconnectionto which the branch pipe'or main may be connected; but thepractice in this respect of employing a sleeve with a hub member to.

enable the joint between the latter and the valve to be calked involvesthe use of a very long and expensive couplin and much labor inperfecting the joint. Tiese objections I have entirely overcome by myimprovement,

which, stated in general terms, consists of the following devices: Iemploy a sectional sleeve which I apply to the main in the usual way;but one section of such sleeve I form or provide with a short spigotmember of a coupling formed with a flange or abutment. In connectionwith this spigot member I use a valve with a hub or bell end which isfitted over the former and retained in place either by bolts passingthrough the flanges of the two members or by some convenient form ofbayonet-joint, or both, in such mannerthat thejoint between the twomembers may be thoroughly calked.

The peculiar and essential feature of my improvement, however, inaddition to those described, is that I provide for the calking of thejoint between the two members from the inside as well as the outside ofthe branch, so that the valve may be placed very close to the main, anda very short cou ling member on the sleeve may be used. his improvementmay be carried out in various specific ways, some of which inillustration of the principle I have illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. I

- Figure 1 is a sectional view of the connection-sleeve and gate-valveat right angles to the main. Fig. 2 is a section on line :0 w of Fig. 1.illustrating a modified form of connection, and Fig. 4 is a sectionaldetail of a further modification.

The pipe or main with which a branch connection is to be established isillustrated by 1. .Around this I place a sleeve, preferably composed oftwo parts 2 and 3, bolted. together. The joint between the sleeve andFig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1,

the main is suitably calked with a lead or other packing 4.

The section 3 of the sleeve is formed or provided with a short extension5, formed,

as the spigot member of a pipe-couplin but provided with a circularabutment or ange 8. Over this spigot end is fitted the hub end of avalve-gate 9, which may be locked to the spigot member in any desiredmanner.

For example, the spi 0t member may be provided with lugs or anges 17, asshown in Fig. 2, and the hub member with ears or lugs latter when thevalve is inserted and then turned. This form of lock is typical of anordinary bayonet-j oint.

When the gate-valve has been placed in position over the spigot memberof the sleeve,

the joint betweenthe flanges of the two members is calked with a packing19. The lead is also run into the space between the spigot and hub ends,as at 20, and calked by any suitable tool introduced through the opengate-valve. To facilitate this operation, the spigot end of thesleeve-coupling is tapered or beveled and the hub end of the valvesimilarly formed, so that any ordinary tool may be inserted through theopen valve-gate for calking the oint. This special provision, however,is not essential, as a straight spigot and hub couplingmay be used, asshown in Fig. 3, in which case a special tool 21 for calking the jointfrom the inside is most conveniently employed. Fig. 3 also'illustrates.

a modification in'the means for locking the two'members to the couplingand is shown as consisting-of lugs 22 and 23 on the two members,respectively, which do not engage or lock directly, but provideabutments at different points or opposite sides of the lead packing andso accomplish the same result. The special advantage of this device isthat it permits the joint between the twomembers of the coupling to becalkd from the inside as well as from the outside, thus securing anabsolutely tight joint, while at the same time it enables me to use veryshort couplings, which may be calked without difflculty. This specialadvantage may be secured, though not to thesame degree, by the form ofcoupling shown in Fig. 4, in which both members of the coupling areprovided with flanges which are secured together by bolts and calkedwith a lead packing which may be tamped from both the inside and outsideof the pipe.

In Fig. 1 I have illustrated the details of the valve-gate which Ipreferably use, although this forms no part of my present invention. Itis shown as consisting of a case 9, provided with seats 10 11, againstwhich are seated-gates 12 13. The latter are operated in the well-knownway, as by means of a screw 14;, suitably journaled in the cover orbonnet 15. The end 16 of the case is adapted for connection with alength of pipe and may be formed in any desired manner.

It is understood that after the sleeve has been secured to the main andthe valve-casing joined to the sleeve a tapping-maclnne is secured tothe outer end of the valve-casing, the val i e-gate raised, and the tapis then made by the tool entering the spigot end of the sleeveconnection. When this operation is completed, the tool is withdrawn andthe valve-gate closed, when the tapping-machine may be removed and abranch pipe connected to the valve-casing.

Having now described my invention, what I claimi v 1. The combinationwith a main or pipe, of a sleeve surrounding the same, a spigot memberextending from the sleeve and pro-- 2. The combination with a main orpipe;

of a sleeve surrounding the same, a spigot extension from the sleevehaving a circular abutment or flange on the outside thereof and atapered end beyond the same, a valvecasing having a hub end and aninternal surface corresponding to the tapered end of the spigot, and apacking between the tapered surface of the two members, as set forth.

3. The combination with a sectional sleeve adapted to surrounda pipe ormain and provided-with a spigot member having a tapered end, and aflange or abutment on the outside of thespigot member, of a valve-casingwith a hub end fitting over the spigot end and having asimilarly-inclined surface, lugs on both of said members adapted toengage and lock the same together in assembled position, and a packingbetween the two members, as

'- set forth.

4. The combination with a sleeve adapted to surround a pipe or main andprovided with a spigot member formed with a circular abutment or flangeon the outside thereof, avalvecasing having a hub end with a flangethereon and adapted to fit over the spigot member, and a packing betweenthe abutting flanges and the spigot and hub members of the coupling, andadapted to be calked from both the inside and outside of the coupling,as set forth.

PHILIP ELEY.

Witnesses v M. LAWSON DYER, S. S. DUNHAM.

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